This was a short trip, and my final day would be even
shorter, since I had to be back in Phoenix by mid-afternoon for my
departing flight. So, I decided to enjoy whatever I could along
the way, without going much out of my way. From Holbrook, Show Low
and Globe seemed almost as direct a route to Phoenix as Flagstaff and
I-17, and I remembered reading somewhere that US 60 was scenic.
So, off I went.

The Salt River Canyon is located about
halfway between Show Low and Globe, Arizona on US Hwy. 60.
It's approximately 2 hours east of Phoenix. From
Holbrook and Interstate 40, take AZ Rte. 77 south to Show
Low, then Hwy. 60 West.

Route 77 was pretty uneventful, with the exception of
the surprisingly large towns of Snowflake and Taylor. After a half
hour or more of high desert flatness, suddenly there were banks, drive-thru's,
and even a shopping mall.

You'd expect to see a lot of wintry
weather in Snowflake, but the town's frigid name has little
to do with precipitation. It received its name from
its two Mormon founders, Erastus Snow and William Jordan
Flake. In keeping with its heritage, Snowflake is home
to a large (and new--it opened in 2002) Mormon Temple.

The brief brush with civilization ends as quickly as
it began, as you leave Snowflake and Taylor behind, and head on to Show
Low. As for Show Low itself, it wasn't the wild-west town I had
hoped for. Maybe I just missed the downtown district, but all I
saw was a typical street lined with average businesses.

After you leave Show Low, you're definitely in the
mountains, or more accurately, on top of them. The road winds
through this high country for a while, then the descent begins, and
you're quickly dropping into a Grand Canyon-like landscape. You've
reached the Salt River Canyon.

As you descend, the views just keep getting better and better.
Don't bother stopping at every turnout, the best stuff is near the
bottom.

Next to a small gas station (which appeared to be closed) you'll find
the Salt River Jail. At first glance, it looks like something
built for tourists, but there is a jail cell inside, complete with hefty
steel bars. I wouldn't put it past an Apache Nation police officer
to throw a particularly disrespectful or obnoxious visitor in here.

Near the bottom of the canyon, there's a turnoff that offers a great
view of the mountains surrounding the Salt River. A dirt road
travels alongside the river, but you're supposed to have a visitor's
pass from the Native American tribes, in order to proceed any further.

The Salt River is the dividing line
between the Fort Apache and San Carlos Apache Indian
Reservations.

So instead, cross the Salt River on this new, steel arch bridge (the old
bridge still stands next to the new one, and serves as a foot bridge)...

... then stop at the rest area, and take the stairs down to the large
viewpoint below the bridge. It's a great place to see the
surrounding mountains reflecting on the water. Also, it's likely
that there will be a few Native American jewelry stands nearby, in case
you need a souvenir.

As you climb out of the canyon, you're once again treated to a new
perspective of the mountains. Look closely at the picture above,
and you can see the curvy road that you just descended.

As far as I'm concerned, this is the absolute best view of the Salt
River Canyon. Unfortunately, there's no turnout here. If you
are desperate for a picture that shows the river, the winding road, and
the bridges, as well as miles and miles of distant canyon, you'll have
to walk about a quarter mile from the nearest turnoff. Or, just
enjoy the beauty as you drive by, then continue on to Globe and
neighboring Miami.

Miami, Arizona

If you've read a lot of my website, you may know by now that I'm
especially attracted to old mining towns. They seem to all have a
forgotten-in-time feel. Miami, Arizona is no different.

The biggest thing in the small town of Miami is the large Phelps Dodge
copper mine. You'll pass part of it alongside the main road.
But my favorite part of Miami is the downtown stretch of old buildings
and small businesses. I had very little time (just a few hours
before my flight left Phoenix) but I still managed to poke around some
of the antique stores. I don't often find antique stores that I
like, but Miami definitely has some of the best I've ever seen.

Once your visit to Miami is complete, head towards Phoenix on US 60.
You'll wind through some more great scenery and at least one canyon,
then emerge into the Valley of the Sun, for the long, flat, and boring
drive into the urban sprawl of the city.

My trip ended with a quick lunch at Garduño's in Scottsdale, then a stop
at a local grocery store for New Mexico green chile (if you pack it in
your luggage, it will stay frozen--or at least cold--until you get
home).

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Sherri writes: Am from
Lubbock, TX. Left Phoenix about 4:30pm dragging a trailer we
had purchased. Looking for fastest way home, took Hwy 60,
not knowing what we were in for. It was getting dark when we
started up into mountains, never thought much about it. The
wind was blowing a little, pulling at our trailer. We had no
idea what we were in for...scared us to death. Horseshoe
curves, steep road grades, it seemed to be unending. Finally
made it to Show Low about 3 hours after leaving Globe.
Afraid to go any further, not knowing what the roads were
like up ahead, we got a room. The clerk told us we were VERY
lucky to have made it as the road is often times icy and the
wind gusts are bad. We saw nothing on the map to indicate
it, nor were there signs warning us of what we were getting
into! By the time we realized, we were committed and had no
way to turn around and go back. From the pictures, it
appears to be a wonderful drive in daylight hours, but
PLEASE! Travelers should be warned ahead
of time that this road is treacherous after dark! Thanks for
posting the pix, it was nice to be able to see what we
missed!